Loneliness of the Runner
by Corrupt TE
Summary: This is my take on why Sonic always runs.


**This Oneshot has been lying in my harddrive for ages.  
But what the hell, it's up now.**

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"If you've got time to worry, run."

That was one of his sayings. He always ran, so people said he didn't have a worry in the whole world.

How wrong they were.

Sonic didn't run because he had no worries, he ran because he feared that if he stopped, everyone and everything around him would become a target for attack.

Sure he gave off the impression of a carefree, fun loving adventurer, but what others didn't see, couldn't see was how lonely it was, running.

He pushed away those he cared for, so they would never be harmed just to get to him. It pained the young hedgehog, pushing his friends away, but he had to keep running, for their sakes. How he longed to slow down, show his true self, his true emotions to the world and one in particular.

Amy Rose.

It started on Little Planet when they were both younger. He saved her, and from that stemmed her long infatuation towards him.

Sure it was annoying at first, but after years of her following him around, he had grown used to her and had begun harbouring the same feelings towards her. But he had to keep running.

The last time he saw her was three months ago at Tails' sixteenth birthday party. Her beauty had taken his breath away. He had wanted to tell her there and then how he felt, to finally feel her fingers intertwine with his, finally be able to stand with her in a warm comforting embrace. But all his running, all his time spent protecting the world, protecting her, held a heavy price to pay.

*Flashback*

"Wow Ames, you look... Wow!" She giggled at his failing attempt at a coherent sentence.

"It's good to see you again too Sonic, you're looking very handsome today."

That should have been his first clue. She hadn't pounced on him or squealed wildly at his attention like she had done two years ago.

"So what have you done these past couple of years?" She asked, a sweet smile decorating her sensuous lips.

"You know me. Exploring the world, helping where needed, keeping Eggman at bay, the usual." As usual, his trademark grin earned him another smile.

"That's the Sonic I know and love." His heart did a summersault and a rush of blood went to his cheeks.

"What about you, what have you been up to?"

"Nothing as exciting as you. I've been kept busy training to become a nurse." Her eyes kept drifting past him towards the door as she spoke.

"What's up?" Sonic asked, following her gaze.

"Oh, it's nothing, just waiting for someone." Sonic raise an enquiring eyebrow, a frown replacing his carefree smile.

"Waiting for someone? Who?"

"Don't worry, he's here now." She walked past the dumbfounded hedgehog.

"He?" Sonic spun around to see Amy, the young woman he had grown to love, walk straight into the embrace of another. As he watched, the couple shared a kiss which sent his heart plummeting.

"Isn't it great?" Piped up a voice from beside him. "Who would've thought that Shadow and Amy would be so right together."

"How long Tails?" Sonic croaked, his throat suddenly very dry.

"Almost six months now. None of us thought it would last, but they just sorta, clicked you know." The young fox looked up at his brother, his smile faltering upon seeing Sonic's expression.

"Sonic?"

He looked from Sonic to Amy and back again, realisation dawning on his face.

"Oh God... Sonic, I'm so sorry..."

"I uh... I gotta go pal, happy birthday." His voice was quiet and yet filled with sorrow.

"Yeah... sure..." Tails stepped back as Sonic headed towards the back door, his shoulders sagged and feet dragging. The young fox looked on as his brother, his idol opened the back door, took one final look back and left in the blink of an eye.

*End Flashback*

He had to keep running. That was all he could do now. His heart lay heavy in his chest and a lump forever clogged in his throat. He had to keep running.

The world would always need a hero. No matter what he did, it always needed saving again from Eggman, Metal Sonic, or a number of other power hungry mad men wanting world domination or threatening world destruction.

No matter what, the world would always need Sonic the Hedgehog.

But now, as he ran, he couldn't smile, he couldn't laugh, he couldn't even cry. He felt like the whole world had already ended for him. Because she was in the arms of another.

He stopped and looked up. He found himself outside her house again, like every other time he had gone running. And just like every other time, he turned away and ran off again, an aching hole in his heart.

He was the fastest thing on the planet, and yet the one thing, the one goal he truly wanted, he was too late to reach.

He no longer kept in contact with his friends, and they didn't seem to be trying to find him either. Too used to him disappearing for weeks on end to worry about him, too enthralled in their own lives to care about the free spirited Sonic and his never ending adventures.

As he ran, rain clouds began to release their torrent of water.

He didn't care. Not anymore. The rain would be as the tears he couldn't cry.

As the rain got heavier, he sped up. Anger stirring from deep within. Anger at himself, anger at Amy, at Shadow, at the world!

He snarled as his feet splashed through the rain. Droplets were streaming off his sodden quills. He tried to blink the water from his eyes as he sped through the city streets. He swerved around corners and recklessly darted between the traffic, flashing through the streets and into the park.

His foot skidded on a patch of soaking leaves and the young hero was sent crashing along the pathway and slamming into a tree. Darkness took him.

Dazed, his vision blurred, his hearing muffled. He could hear something, someone. Feel the soft touch of someone's fingers. As his senses slowly returned, so did the feeling of intense pain.

He groaned at the throbbing in his right leg and shoulder. The sensation of raindrops pummelled at his body.

The voice spoke again, and he was turned over onto his back. Sonic gasped in pain, squeezing his eyes shut against the agony that rocketed through his leg.

He felt a gentle hand rest on his forehead. He struggled to open his eyes to look upon the face of the one showing the care that he had been so longing for.

As the hazy, blurred outline slowly became clearer, his eyes widened to see her face.

Concern was written all over her face, her eyes were pained to see him like this. And yet, when their eyes met, she smiled weakly, tears glistening in the corners of her emerald green eyes.

"Amy..." He gasped weakly. He turned his head away from her, ashamed that she was seeing him like this, a weak, pitiful excuse for a hero. He looked back to find a brown feline looking over him instead.

Despair rushed over him and he squeezed his eyes shut.

When he reopened them, he found himself alone in a white room, lying on a somewhat comfortable bed. He could hear voices and strange beeping noises echoing all around him.

He tried to sit up but his head began to spin so rapidly, he had to lie back down before the nausea caused him to black out.

The door creaked open and with bleary eyesight the hedgehog looked over to see who had entered. A young sheep wearing blue medical scrubs and carrying a chart walked up to the bed.

In silence she pulled across the table, set the chart down on it and proceeded to raise the hedgehog's bed. Sonic grimaced in pain.

Once satisfied with her torture, the nurse or intern looked over his vitals, scribbled a few things on her chart and left. Leaving the confused and pained hedgehog alone, drifting slowly to sleep.

The sheep stretched as she returned to the nursing station, relieved that her shift was almost over.

"Hey Miri." She put her chart on top of a pile of others before looking over at one of the new shift of nurses.

"Hey Amy." Miri replied.

"Anything new tonight, or is it the usual bunch still?" Asked the sakura hedgehog, tying back her long quills.

"Pretty much the same." The sheep shrugged. "A new guy was brought in early this morning. Broken leg, dislocated shoulder and a concussion. Looks like he was in a car crash."

"What, another joy rider?"

"I don't think so. Thing is, the paramedics said they picked him up in the park downtown, no car wrecks or anything." Amy paused in her routine.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, I'll see you later girl, there's a bed out there calling my name, and I plan on heeding that call." Amy smiled and waved her friend off.

She began her usual routine of checking up on the patients, finally arriving outside the room of the supposed car crash victim.

Looking at his chart she was surprised to read the name John Doe, which was only used in cases where the patient had no identification. Shrugging her shoulders she opened the door as quietly as possible, it only being six in the morning and all.

She checked his vitals and the monitoring machines in the semi-darkness of dawn. Writing all the updates on her own chart. She finally turned her attention to the person lying in bed. With a clatter, the pen and chart fell to the floor.

"Sonic..." She breathed, daring not to believe what her eyes were telling her.

She gently laid her hand on his forehead, staring intently at his bruised face, her eyes passing over the bandaged that was wrapped around his head, looking down at his shoulder strapped tightly, his arm wrapped to his chest in a sling and finally down to his leg, cast in plaster and suspended by a small pulley system to keep the blood flow consistent.

"What happened to you?" Her immediate thoughts turned to Robotnik and his maniacal machines, but she shook her head. He hadn't been seen or heard from in almost a year. A groan drew her attention back to his face. Sonic's eyes slowly flickered open. They focussed on her almost immediately.

"Amy?" She smiled weakly at him, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

"Hey Sonic." She said quietly. He looked away, a pained expression in his eyes.

"Sonic?" She brought her hand up to his face and held it against his cheek. "What happened to you?"

The cobalt hedgehog was silent and the minutes dragged by. He could feel her palm slowly warming his cheek. His heart was beating hard, sending the monitor into a fit of bleeps.

"I don't know." He answered finally.

"You've been gone for months; we're all worried about you. I tried calling you but-"

"I threw my phone away." He said miserably. Taken aback by his depressing tone, Amy withdrew her hand.

"Why'd you do that?"

Sonic laid in silence. He couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye. The first time in months he sees her and he's to ashamed to even bring himself to look at her.

"It's alright Sonic. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." She slowly turned to leave but paused when she felt something grab her hand. She looked down to find that Sonic was gripping her hand tightly.

"Don't go." His voice was almost a whisper and it trembled as he spoke. "I've been so lonely. Always running with no place to go..."

Amy gently pulled him into her embrace, sitting down carefully on the side of his bed. She began humming a tune which her mother used to sing whenever she had been scared. Rocking gently she felt him shudder and a dampness on her shoulder.

Sonic was crying.

All his loneliness, all his emotions were pouring out in her arms.

"Amy." She looked down into his tear stained face. "I... I..."

She smiled sweetly trying her best to comfort him.

"I don't want to run anymore." Amy frowned.

"But I thought you loved running." The cobalt hedgehog lowered his head.

"I did once, when it was still just about running. But now I'm forced to run to protect those I care for. All I've ever wanted was to stop."

"Sonic..."

"All I've ever wanted to do was stop and be with you." Sonic's heavy eyes stared at the floor, his voice had barely been a whisper, but Amy had heard every word.

Tears still ran slowly down his face as exhaustion overtook him and he drifted back to sleep.

Amy left his room quietly. Wiping her tears she made her way back to the nursing station and poured herself a cup of coffee. Her mind was reeling from what he had said.

Was it true? Did he mean it?

Was running truly as lonely as he said?

She shook her head and looked back at his room.

Over the next few days, Sonic was visited by all the friends he had left behind. Tearful apologies were quashed by joyful reunions. Tails had dropped everything and rushed to the hospital as soon as Amy had told him about his big brother.

Sonic had been given a long talking to about his disappearing act, but the young fox couldn't stay mad at his cobalt idol. The very next day he had brought in a wide screen television and Sonic's Xbox 360. Together with Knuckles and his girlfriend Shade, they spent hours playing various games, laughing and joking and making the hedgehog hero realise what he had left behind.

Cream, Vanilla, Rouge, even Chaos and Tikal came to wish good health to the hedgehog and berate him for running off like he did.

Amy had taken it upon herself to take care of him. She even spent her free time checking up on him, spending time with him and making sure he didn't try to walk let alone run anytime soon.

"Come on Amy, I can't sit here forever I've got to be moving." Sonic complained after his forth night stuck in his hospital bed.

"If you break your leg again, it'll be longer before you can run. You've got to be patient." Replied the sakura hedgehog sweetly.

"Come on Ames." She stopped. The last time she had heard herself being called that was over three months ago. Sonic was lying on his bed, his left arm folder behind his head and his trademark grin plastered on his face. She looked out the window at the night sky.

"Alright Sonic, come with me." She helped him gently out of bed and carefully led him out of his room and towards the elevator. They stepped inside and she pushed the topmost button. A slight rumble the steel box began its accent. She looked over at her hero.

"Why did you run away?" Sonic looked down at his bare feet, his grin faltering.

"Because I sa- I saw you with Shadow, at Tails' party and it... it broke my heart."

A light tone told them that they had reached their destination. The doors opened to the chilly wind and starry night sky. Amy silently took Sonic's hand and led him out onto the roof. Together they sat down on the ledge, his hand intertwined in hers.

"You ran because of me?" She asked quietly.

"No! Uh not exactly." Sonic sought the right words to express the reason behind his actions. "You've always been there for me, ever since Little Planet you've always been on my tail. I admit it was annoying at first but, after a while I couldn't see my future without you."

He looked into her eyes. They sparkled in the starlight. "That's why I ran, 'cause if Eggman or anyone else ever found out how much I love you, you'd become a target! I couldn't let that happen. I just couldn't."

His eyes had drifted to the floor as he spoke so he couldn't see the surprise on Amy's face when she heard those three little words.

She gingerly reached out her and laid it against his warm cheek. He raised his head and looked back into her eyes. "Do you really mean it? Do you really love me?"

Sonic's heart began beating faster than it had ever done when he was running. Amy's soft eyes, friendly smile and gentle caress sent his emotions soaring.

"I- I do. I love you Amy." A sad grin appearing on his face. "But I'm too late aren't I. You're with Shadow now."

Amy's hand fell from his face. "Want to know something Sonic?"

She quickly leant towards him, her lips capturing his in a sweet embrace. Just as quickly she drew back, her face beet-red and her eyes staring at their hands still together.

"Shadow and I broke up not long after you disappeared. He said I was still stuck on you." Their eyes met once more. "And he was right."

In the silence that followed, Sonic pulled her close and kissed her deeply. Their lips moulded around each other, their hands began to wander. He ran his free palm gently along her arm and he began fondling her long quills. Sonic hissed in pain when Amy's gentle hand ran from his face and over his bandaged shoulder. She broke their kiss, worry sparking in her grass green eyes.

"Sorry Sonic, I didn't mean to-."

"It doesn't matter. You've been a pain most of my life and that's not gonna change." His carefree grin brought a smile to her red-cheeked face.

They snuggled together against the chill of the night, his left arm wrapping around her waist with his hand being clenched gently in hers. Amy leant her head against his shoulder and together they stared up into the clear night sky, watching the stars run their courses.

"Hey look, a shooting star! Make a wish Sonic." He looked down with a smile on his lips, his soft gaze matching hers.

"I don't have to." Their lips sought out each other and Sonic realised something.

He would never suffer the loneliness of running again, because he now had someone who would always wait for him at the finish line.

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**Well that's done.**

**Hope you enjoyed reading, 'cause I enjoyed writting.**

**This is Corrupt TE, signing off.**


End file.
